503 results for tag: blog

Be a lamp – a lifeboat – or a ladder by Stuart Segall

“Be a lamp – a lifeboat – or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” Who first expressed this?  No one knows for sure. They say “Rumi” did but that does not matter. What matters is that these words say so much!  Do these words speak to you? When I first read these words some time ago, it made me think about who perhaps in our life has been, or perhaps will be in such a role as this.  Do you think of someone who has been a lamp?  To be a lamp for another human is to be someone who brings light to the darkness, or one who helps light the way home.  He or she might ...

Rebound! – Jim Fowler

Jim Fowler The basketball game was proceeding at a frenzied pace. Receiving a pass from his teammate, the hometown guarddribbled toward center court. The defending team was employing a full-court press, so our player faked to the left and drove hard to the right, dribbling to within fifteen feet of the basket. There he attempted a one-handed jump shot which ricocheted off the glass and caromed straight up off the front of the rim. Amazed that he has missed the mark, our player stops in his tracks, his upper torso hanging limp in dejection. Looking toward the coach, he sobs his apologies and laments his failure. “I’m sorry, Coach,” he ...

When Christ-less Religion Meets God’s Grace – Greg Albrecht

All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.—John 16:1-3 What happens when fear, shame and guilt meet God's unconditional love? Human history is a record of titanic struggles and classic confrontations. Biblically, we think of Moses and the seemingly defenseless Israelites, hemmed in by the mountains, with the Red Sea at their back, being pursued by the finest, most well-equipped and trained army in the world at that time. ...

End Racism – Greg Albrecht

The imperative plea appealing for an end of racism appeared in block letters on the back of a football player’s helmet. Watching on television, I wondered about the effectiveness of this message.  I shouldn’t be too harsh in my judgment, any more than I should be with the empty slogans on bumper stickers plastered on cars.  But still, given a few words at best, how much critical thinking can take place in the abbreviated space on the back of a football helmet or the back bumper of a car? How much interest is arrested by the soaring and lofty goal of ending racism in people watching a live football game? 1) Most can’t see the ...

God’s Glass Ceiling? Ruth Tucker

Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the cradle and last at the cross. They had never known a man like this man—there never has been such another. A prophet and teacher who never nagged at them, never flattered them, never treated them as either The women, God help us! or The ladies, God bless them!; who rebuked without querulousness and praised without condescension; who took their questions and arguments seriously; who never mapped out their sphere for them, never urged them to be feminine or jeered at them for being female; never had an axe to grind and no uneasy male dignity to defend; who took them as he found them and was ...

Lottery – A Ticket to Hell? – Greg Albrecht

Gambling is a controversial topic in Christendom. I personally see nothing biblically wrong with buying a lottery ticket, but I know that my saying so will rouse the ire of some. They will see such a statement as permissive and back-sliding, among other things. In my opinion, based on my understanding of the Bible and of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is not wrong to play a game of chance, as long as it does not become an addiction—at that point, as with so many other behaviors, gambling is not only a sin, it becomes a curse. Here's how I see the issue of gambling, from a biblical, Christ-centered perspective. Gambling can be addicti...

A Journey – Not a Guided Tour by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from January 2018 On or just before January 1, fresh calendars are opened with almost as much anticipation as unwrapping a Christmas present. We page through a new calendar, admiring its twelve uncluttered months and 365 unplanned days. And we experience the liberation of setting aside the year that has just ended, with all of the days and events we are all too happy to put behind us. The New Year is a time of a new beginning and a fresh start. The fresh start of a New Year reminds me of the wisdom Paul shares with us about our ongoing life in Christ, on the Jesus Way: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward ...

Let the Past Be the Past by Ed Dunn

Past and future veil God from our sight; let them both be burned up with fire. – Rumi, 13th Century Persian Poet Life can give us such precious moments - a wedding day, closing on a first-home purchase, the birth of a child, a high school or college graduation – all of these events can remain with us as some of the best memories we can experience in life. Life can also present us with such difficulty and heartache at times - a bitter and contentious divorce, a financial mishap, parenting miss-steps which may have led to strained relationships with our children, health challenges and accidents – these types of events can reside with ...

Grace – Up on the Roof – Greg Albrecht

The second chapter of Joshua tells us that a woman named Rahab found grace in the most unexpected manner and place. This story would make a great Hollywood action-thriller. It's a story that includes adventure, suspense, military conflict, spies—and, of course, a beautiful woman. It has all the elements of a block-buster hit at the box office. The leading character of this drama is a prostitute named Rahab. We can be fairly certain that Rahab was not invited to join the important clubs in Jericho where she lived, because she lived and worked on the fringes of polite society. While Rahab's way of earning a living may have been more acceptable ...

The Idolatry of Methodology – Jim Fowler

Jim Fowler It is a natural tendency of mankind to develop methods that will lead to the desired human performance and production results. Our entire educational system seems to be the instruction of the latest methods in every discipline. There inevitably develops a competition of methods in every field of study concerning which method works better – “This is how to do it right or most effectively.” The social sciences and humanities studies, in general, seem to engender a broader spectrum of methodological variation, having less definitive operational criteria. Methods, procedures and techniques are necessary, but they must not be allowed ...

A Christ-Centered Time Out – Brennan Manning – Greg Albrecht

  In the midst of the horrific, ongoing and seemingly, like a Frankenstein monster, growing hatred in our country and in our world – in the midst of new and deep divides between family and friends, we can find healing in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It’s time for a time out!  We can find peace and assurance – the Lord our Shepherd will lead us to green pastures and quiet waters, preparing a table for us so that we might dwell in his house forever.     With our deep need of being still and waiting for God in mind, I was re-reading the introduction to Brennan Manning’s “The Relentless Tenderness ...

“I haven’t seen you lately” by Greg Albrecht

A friend of mine who attends her church on a fairly regular basis missed a few weeks in a row. When she returned, one of the "church ladies" greeted her with: "I haven't seen you lately!" Of course, the "church lady" meant she hadn't seen my friend lately at church, and that was a cause for concern. "I haven't seen you lately" might include the following thoughts: First, let's assume the best. This greeting might be intended to communicate the fact that my friend was genuinely missed, and that her return was warmly welcomed. However, "I am glad to see you. How are you?" might avoid the extra helping of guilt and innuendo present in "I haven't ...

It Was Bound to Happen – Greg Albrecht

Mark Twain, in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer (I know, mentioning this politically incorrect book will probably result in me being “banned in Boston” – not to mention being declared persona non grata in many esoteric ivory towers of progressive “wisdom”), has Tom Sawyer staging a practical joke and attending his own funeral.    While I have never considered staging my own funeral and secretly attending to see who would come, while listening to what they would say about me, I realize I am on the way to my own funeral and I am becoming more acutely aware that many less than enjoyable experiences are “bound to happen” on the ...

The God of Comfort – Greg Albrecht

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are ...

Why Do Many Christians Make the Good News Sound So Weird? – Monte Wolverton

Among some folks, the ability to speak fluent "Christianese" is a sign of true Christianity. But do these special words and phrases help or hinder the message? Here's some suggestions as to how we as Christ-followers might improve our communication skills. —Text and illustrations by Monte Wolverton I just want to come up alongside you. I have a burden—because God has laid it on my heart to minister to you and disciple you. God spoke to me, and he wanted me to share my testimony with you and to witness to you. The message I’m called to give you will be a real blessing to you. Chances are, you know some people who talk this way all the time. ...

Poking Holes in the Darkness – Greg Albrecht

Friends and Partner Letter for January 2022 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has notovercome it.—John 1:4-5 Robert Lewis Stevenson, well-known for his adventure story Treasure Island, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, into a well-to-do family. His father and his uncles and his maternal grandfather all designed lighthouses. During Robert’s childhood he was in poor health, suffering from severe bronchial problems, and was thus often confined to his room, particularly in cold winter months. But his creative mind was active, even at a young age, giving evidence of ...

The Real Beginning – Greg Albrecht

It's here! The end of another year. What a year this has been! The grumps, the curmudgeons, the gloom and doom prognosticators, the fear mongers and the Jeremiad prophecy buffs have been selling their wares. Thankfully, the vast majority of the party poopers who scream and shout within Christendom agree on one thing—only Jesus Christ can clean up this mess! It does take Jesus, doesn't it? As we end a year of endless varieties of Christ-less promotion and hype in his name, it might be helpful to compare and contrast the understated way the good news first came into our world. Jesus' birth passed with little fanfare. Books about his first coming ...

Q & R: “Not counting our sins against us” Part 2 – Brad Jersak

"Not Counting Our Sins Against Us" In a previous post, "Not counting our sins against us," I wrote concerning Paul's remarkable claim that at the Cross, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself not counting our sins against us." (from 2 Corinthians 3:18-19). That last phrase is a stunning repudiation of every claim that God is beholden to some higher justice that requires payment or punishment as a condition of forgiveness or reconciliation. Further, it shines bright among a constellation of similar verses that wipe out any sense of record-keeping on God's part. Two others that come to mind: * Hebrews 8:11-12 citing Jeremiah ...

Q & R – Should Christians Celebrate Christmas? – Greg Albrecht

Q: Should Christians celebrate Christmas? I believe Christ was born, but I haven't read anything in the Bible that says we should commemorate that event! I don't see anything wrong with celebrating Jesus' resurrection, since we know that was in the Spring—but we don't know the date of his birth. And, according to my research, Christmas seems to be a Roman Catholic invention, not a biblical one—and I tend to view anything coming from Rome with great mistrust. A: Perhaps we should define the word "Christmas." For some this word simply means an endless round of parties, concerts, gift giving, decorating, etc. MUST Christians do this? NO. ...

Separation vs. Alienation & “the fear of God” – Brad Jersak

“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he FEARED.” Hebrews 5:7 KJV My friend Lazar Puhalo recounts his memory of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on a new-fangled invention called the 'television. It was June 2, 1953. During the coronation of this graceful and gracious 27-year-young woman, the same style of King James language used above referred to the new queen as our 'fearful and 'terrible sovereign, which sounds ominous indeed. And yet, those who 'feared her with reverence and awe' also felt a deep ...